The course of depressive symptoms and mortality in older patients with cancer.

Objective: The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), a self-report questionnaire, emphasizes the psychological dimension of depression. We aimed to investigate whether GDS-15 scores were associated with mortality in older patients with cancer and describe the course of individual symptoms on the GDS-15.

Methods: An observational, multicenter, prospective study of 288 patients 70 years or older with cancer followed over 24 months.

CT Derived Muscle Measures, Inflammation, and Frailty in a Cohort of Older Cancer Patients.

Background/aim: Muscle loss, inflammation, and frailty are prevalent among older cancer patients. We aimed to evaluate whether inflammatory markers could identify muscle loss, and if muscle measures differed between frail and non-frail patients.

Patients And Methods: A total of 115 patients ≥70 years old with solid tumors were included.

Reproducibility of semiautomated body composition segmentation of abdominal computed tomography: a multiobserver study.

Background: Segmentation of computed tomography (CT) images provides quantitative data on body tissue composition, which may greatly impact the development and progression of diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and cancer. We aimed to evaluate the inter- and intraobserver variation of semiautomated segmentation, to assess whether multiple observers may interchangeably perform this task.

Methods: Anonymised, unenhanced, single mid-abdominal CT images were acquired from 132 subjects from two previous studies.

Arti Hurria and the progress in integrating the geriatric assessment into oncology: Young International Society of Geriatric Oncology review paper.

Until recently, the progress in the diagnosis and management of cancer has not been matched by similar progress in the assessment of the increasing numbers of older and more complex patients with cancer. Dr. Arti Hurria identified this gap at the outset of her career, which she dedicated toward studying the geriatric assessment (GA) as an improvement over traditional methods used in oncology to assess vulnerability in older patients with cancer.

Modifiable factors affecting older patients' quality of life and physical function during cancer treatment.

Background: Maintaining physical function and quality of life (QoL) are prioritized outcomes among older adults. We aimed to identify potentially modifiable factors affecting older patients' physical function and QoL during cancer treatment.

Methods: Prospective, multicenter study of 307 patients with cancer ≥70 years, referred for systemic treatment.

Frailty identified by geriatric assessment is associated with poor functioning, high symptom burden and increased risk of physical decline in older cancer patients: Prospective observational study.

Background:: Maintaining quality of life including physical functioning is highly prioritized among older cancer patients. Geriatric assessment is a recommended approach to identify patients with increased vulnerability to stressors (frailty). How frailty affects quality of life and physical functioning in older cancer patients has scarcely been investigated.

Screening for frailty among older patients with cancer using blood biomarkers of inflammation.

Introduction: As frailty is associated with inflammation, biomarkers of inflammation may represent objective measures that could facilitate the identification of frailty. Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), combines C-reactive protein (CRP) and albumin, and is scored from 0 to 2 points. Higher score indicates a higher degree of inflammation.

Geriatric assessment is superior to oncologists' clinical judgement in identifying frailty.

Background: Frailty is a syndrome associated with increased vulnerability and an important predictor of outcomes in older cancer patients. Systematic assessments to identify frailty are seldom applied, and oncologists' ability to identify frailty is scarcely investigated.

Methods: We compared oncologists' classification of frailty (onc-frail) based on clinical judgement with a modified geriatric assessment (mGA), and investigated associations between frailty and overall survival.